Duke Basketball: Is Rust a Concern for Blue Devils During Long Layoff?

Even the most powerful college basketball machines need to occasionally recharge before destroying more opponents, and that is exactly what the Duke Blue Devils will be doing until Dec. 15.

Mike Krzyzewski’s bunch won at Wisconsin on Dec. 3 and won’t take the court again until Dec. 15 against Elon.

That means 12 days off only a few weeks after the start of the season, which may seem unusual, but Duke often takes these breaks during exams. It allows the players to focus on school work without having to worry about preparing for top-notch competition.

The flip side of that is the potential for rust to creep in because playing in a game is much different than merely practicing for two weeks.

Lance King/Getty Images

What’s more, if you believe in momentum, this break could not have come at much worse of a time for the Blue Devils.

They are dominating on the floor right now and have a sparkling 8-0 record to show for it. They also controlled the entire game against Wisconsin in Madison, which was all the more impressive because so many expected a Badgers win in the Kohl Center.

Throw that on top of double-digit-point wins over Michigan State, Temple and Stanford, and the Blue Devils have an argument to be the No. 1 team in the nation. They're currently ranked No. 2 in the AP Top 25 poll.

There are also the impressive performances from individual players that stood out, and one has to wonder if there will be any lost momentum in that regard.

Lance King/Getty Images

Jahlil Okafor is a rock, and there is a reason DraftExpress considers him the front-runner for the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NBA draft.

While he may be somewhat rusty when he returns, his game and confidence level should still be sky-high when he takes the floor again. Dominating down low with strength and athleticism doesn’t require as much rhythm as shooting from the outside or running an offense either.

The long layoff is perhaps more concerning for Tyus Jones, simply because he is playing at an All-American level and likely has all the confidence in the world right now. He was the best player on the floor for either team in the Wisconsin win and scored 22 points, dished out four assists and grabbed six rebounds.

All of those numbers were game highs for the Blue Devils.

The nation is starting to take notice of Jones as more than just Okafor’s partner in crime, as evidenced by remarks from Jeff Goodman of ESPN, CBS Sports' Clark Kellogg and ESPN College Basketball:

Another potential concern is that Okafor, Jones and Justise Winslow are all freshmen and just starting to get accustomed to the speed of the college game through eight contests. An extended break could throw off some of that timing the next time they take the floor, which would then throw off the entire team considering these are the best three players on the roster.

However, there are plenty of silver linings to these 12 days off that should outweigh the concerns about rust.

Grant Halverson/Getty Images

Once Duke reaches the NCAA tournament, it could find itself with a similar type of schedule. Theoretically, the Blue Devils could play a round of 32 game on a Saturday and not take the floor again for the Sweet 16 until the following Friday.

While this current break is longer than that hypothetical, it is solid preparation for a young team that has never experienced a full college basketball season before.

It also gives the Blue Devils an opportunity to rest and recover from a few grueling early-season games against the physical Spartans and Badgers.

Krzyzewski has seven players averaging 18 or more minutes a game, and four of them have been on the floor for more than 25 minutes a game. There is a steep drop-off after those first seven in terms of playing time, and a shorter rotation means Duke is more reliant on its main pieces and will need them to be as fresh as possible in ACC play.

Mike McGinnis/Getty Images

While this break was less than ideal from a momentum standpoint, the Blue Devils will fortunately have a game to chip off any lingering rust before they play Connecticut on Dec. 18.

Duke battles Elon in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Dec. 15 in its first game back from break in what should be an easy victory. The Blue Devils could treat that game much like a marquee college football squad does a season opener against an FCS squad before the competition heats up again.

Krzyzewski likely scheduled a cupcake after the break by design for that very purpose.

Grant Halverson/Getty Images

What’s more, Duke has another 11-day break right after the Connecticut game.

This time off between Wisconsin and Elon will give the Blue Devils some practice on how to deal with that break on the horizon because ACC play will be right around the corner after they return from that second chunk of time off on Dec. 29.

Even if rust is a problem for the Blue Devils when they return to the floor, it won’t impact their overall season and win-loss record.

They will certainly be ready to go against Connecticut after an easy warm-up win over Elon.

Follow me on Twitter:

Follow @ScottPolacek